5/2/10

Jesus addresses himself to “children” in this gospel passagebut he’s not speaking to kids, he’s speaking to grownups - the apostles!

This morning at the 11:30 Mass,ten children in our parish will receive Communion for the first time and I’ll be preaching on this same gospel text:My children: this is how all will know that you are my disciples: if you have love for one another.

I’m going to tell the childrenthat receiving Communion has implications.

In Communion we receive Jesusso we should receive Communion prayerfully reverently, carefully and lovingly.

But Jesus doesn’t only come to us in the Communion.Jesus lives in us, too - all of us here.And if we receive Jesus in Communionwe must to be open to receiving him in all the ways he comes to us outside of Communion.That means to welcome, reverence and receive himinto our hearts and lives as he comes to us at home, at school, at work, at play in our parish and in our neighborhoods.

It’s usually easy to welcome Jesus when he comes to us in Communionbut it’s harder to welcome him when he comes to us in other people.

It’s a good thing that Jesus didn’t tell us we had to like one another -that might be even harder than loving one anotherand loving one another is hard enough.

Jesus calls us to love the people we live witheven when the people we live with are very hard to live with.

Jesus calls us to love the people we work witheven when the people we work make that really hard to do.

Jesus calls us to love the people we go to school with -even the kids we wish went to another school.

Jesus calls us to love politicians, clergy and sports celebritieseven when what they do (or fail to do) infuriates us.

Jesus calls us to love all the annoying, selfish, maddening, crazy,irritating, stubborn people who cross our paths every day - because HE loves them --and with Jesus, there are simply no exceptionsto his new commandmentthat we love one another as he has loved us.

That’s a tall order - and it’s not an easy one.And that’s why it’s important for us to remember, all the time,that Jesus loves each of US no matter our annoying, selfish,maddening, crazy, irritating or stubborn WE may beto all the people whose paths we cross each day.

When we receive Communion, the minister says,The Body of Christ… The Blood of Christ… - and we say, Amen.

Yes, we're saying Amen to Jesus in the Eucharistbut we’re also saying Amen to Jesuswho lives in the hearts, in the livesin the body and blood of people everywhere.

Behold! God’s dwelling is with the human race.He will dwell with them and they will be his people…

That’s why we must love one another:because everyone we bump intois a temple of God’s presence in and among his people.

This is how all will know that you are my followers: if you have love for one another.

Sounds simple in theory but it gets very complicatedwhen we apply it in real time, in real life,in the lives of the real people we know.

That’s why we call the love of Christ on the Cross a sacrificeand why we call the Mass a sacrifice, too.The word we say at Communion, Amen, means “Yes - so be it!”

When we receive the Eucharistwe receive the mystery of the Body of Christ and that’s a lot to swallow…

As we gather at the table of the Lord’s Supperpray with me that the sacrament of the sacrifice we receive at this altarwill prepare us to receive Christin all who come our way this week.

Are you thinking about becoming a Catholic?

The best place to start is always one of your local Catholic churches. Drop in some Sunday and see what's going on. Then you might speak to the pastor or someone on the parish staff about how they can help you and respond to your questions.